Girls! Guess what? I finally accomplished one of my biggest goals. I graduated from my Master's program! I'm extremely happy to finish one more chapter in this book of my life. It feels like it was yesterday when I began my M.A. program, but it has been two and half years. In that time I grew a lot educationally and professionally. However, I have to confess that there were times where I felt frustrated because I did not have time to enjoy myself or my family and friends. I had (almost) no social life! I missed going out with my family without the stress of homework, meetings, projects, etc. For that reason, this summer is all about #celebratingeverygoal, celebrating graduation and not only mine, but my Brother's too, as he also graduated from college this month!

You know, in the US many Latinos have been thought of as people who do not value education, and you know what? We have proven that that paradigm is wrong. Every time that one of us graduates, we are debunking the Latino Paradigm theory. That's why celebrating my/our accomplishments is super important to me, as we are showing that underrepresented students are in academia and achieving higher education degrees. If anyone ever told you or made you feel that you were not good enough for higher education, I'm telling you that you can do it. Demonstrate them and demonstrate yourself that those negative connotations do not define you. If you are already on an educational path towards higher education, just know that although the path may seem slow, you will see the results of what you have been harvesting. So, keep working hard and enjoy the summer so that you can begin next semester with more strength!

Since the day I graduated until now, I've been doing many activities with my family. We've cooked outside in the grill, gone to the park, the beach etc. As a good beauty blogger, I know that we need to protect ourselves from the intense sun that the summer brings. A good sun block lotion is an essential item when celebrating out in the sun; however, I had never been a lover of sun protection lotions as many of them have a funny smell and leave my skin feeling sticky. I recently had the opportunity to try Neutrogena's Beach Defense with SPF 70 and I loved it. It is perfect for summer activities and celebrations. This lotion smells good, its lightweights, and my boyfriend (who is very picky when it comes to body lotions) really liked it too. I have been using it daily on my left arm where the sun hits it when I drive. Not only am I doing to keep my skin healthy, but also to prevent uneven arm tones.

Another summertime (and lifetime) healthy essential item for me is Tylenol, I try to carry some in my purse because I do not want a headache or any other symptom to hamper my summer plans. And obviously, my #1 favorite item for summer is lipgloss. In my last visit to Walgreens, who is giving 3,000 points when you use your Balance Rewards Member with the purchase of Johnson & Johnson products from June 6-July 27, I decided to purchase a second Moisture Smooth Stick in Sweet Watermelon from Neutrogena. If you've followed me for some time, you know that I LOVE my Moisture Smooth Stick in Fresh Papaya, and I wanted to get a second one that would hydrate my lips and give them a nice color tint.

Now that the summer has officially begun, and I'm officially free from summer projects, article write-ups, meetings, etc. I will continue to enjoy these "semi-free" days with those who supported me and cheered me up. The celebration of your accomplished goals does not end the day you walk across the stage to receive your diploma; the celebration continues every day when you wake up knowing that you accomplished another one of your goals and dreams!

So, what and how are YOU celebrating your goals this summer? What are your summertime essentials?